Roger Federer’s former coach sends Jannik Sinner advice after he ended his season early due to injury

Jannik Sinner will not feature on the ATP Tour until at least 2027 after he ended his season early due to a recurring knee injury.

Sinner has not played a professional tennis match since the Wimbledon final in July, when he beat Alexander Zverev to clinch his fifth Grand Slam crown. The Italian withdrew from Montreal, Cincinnati, the US Open, Beijing and Shanghai before making the decision to ultimately shut down his 2026 campaign to focus fully on recovery.

As a result of his decision, Alexander Zverev is set to finish the year as the world number one , becoming the first German man to reach the top spot in the rankings since Boris Becker in 1991.

Reacting to Sinner’s announcement, Roger Federer’s former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, had some words of advice for the 25-year-old.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italy, Ljubicic said: “Injuries are always tough to manage, especially when they drag on longer than expected. In Jannik’s case, I think what was initially supposed to be a short break turned into a more complicated situation than anticipated.

“It’s different to know from the start that you’ll be sidelined for six months. I hope Jannik can get through this period in the best way possible. When Roger decided to stop in July 2016, we already knew his season was over.

In 2016, Federer suffered a knee injury that he struggled with all season, before ultimately ending his season after Wimbledon to make a full recovery. The Swiss legend returned at the start of the 2017 season and won his first major title in five years at the Australian Open.

“For Jannik, though, the situation is different,” said Ljubicic. “The most important thing is that he resolves the issue and, when he returns, has no more discomfort. For a player, in fact, there’s nothing worse than getting back on the court and still feeling pain.

“Stopping well in advance of next season, when there’s still at least three months until it starts, could help him recover fully and show up in Australia in top shape.”

Despite ending it early, Sinner recorded an outstanding season this year. He won five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome, joining Novak Djokovic as the only two players in history to complete the Career Golden Masters.

After a failed title defence at the Australian Open and a shocking early exit at Roland Garros, Sinner clinched his fifth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, beating Zverev in four sets to hoist the famous trophy. He remains one French Open title away from completing the Career Grand Slam.